Death strengthens reform call

The death of Brazilian-born striker Cristiano Junior on a soccer pitch this month has highlighted the sorry state of the game in India.

Junior collapsed seconds after scoring his second goal to help Dempo FC beat Calcutta's Mohun Bagan 2-0 in the final of a top club event in Bangalore.

A national uproar ensued, with the media criticising soccer officials for the delay in getting the player to hospital and blaming the rival goalkeeper for cynically hitting Junior on his face as he scored.

The post mortem report said Junior died of cardiac arrest, although his club and his wife, Juliana, wanted a second autopsy before his body was eventually flown home.

Junior's prolific scoring had helped Calcutta's East Bengal to claim their third national league title in April and the tragedy turned the spotlight on everything that was wrong in Indian soccer.

That list can go on and on.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) was blamed for not reining in the offending goalkeeper Subrata Pal earlier, when he pushed down a rival player in a scuffle in another tournament. He was merely asked to explain his conduct.

The AIFF finally suspended him, pending a disciplinary hearing, along with the referee, who was blamed for not promptly calling an ambulance or sending off Pal.

Critics say the incident demonstrated the plight of the game in India and the administration's lack of vision.

STEADY DECLINE

India, among the top Asian countries and twice Asian Games champions in 1951 and 1962 in the amateur era, have fallen away while Japan, South Korea, China and the Gulf nations have fully embraced professionalism.